LITERACY SKILLS AND COMMUNICATION METHODS OF LOW-INCOME OLDER PERSONS

The objectives of this study were to (a) characterize the literacy ski lls of low-income, community-dwelling, older adults, (b) determine how they obtain information, and (c) determine whether they have difficul ty understanding written information provided by clinicians, We studie d 177 subjects (mean age 72.2, range 60-94). None had cognitive or vis ual impairments that precluded assessing literacy. Reading skills were tested, sociodemographic data were recorded, and information was coll ected on whether subjects have trouble understanding information given to them by health providers, Data analysis determined if literacy was associated with how subjects obtain and understand medical informatio n, The subjects' mean reading skills were at grade level 5, below thos e of the general US population. One-fourth of subjects reported diffic ulty understanding written information from clinicians; this was more frequent among poor readers (P = 0.0002), Ninety-seven percent of subj ects, regardless of literacy, reported that television was their prima ry source of information. Health information for low-income seniors sh ould be transmitted through literacy-appropriate communication methods .